This walk is about 6½ miles (10½ km) in length and takes in a quiet and secluded part of the Wirral with some surprisingly attractive countryside and the pleasant old villages of Storeton, Brimstage and Thornton Hough. This is the area of the Lever Causeways, long tree-lined avenues constructed by William Lever to fast-track him from his country seat at Thornton Manor to his soap factory in Port Sunlight. Our route intersects these at various points, but they are unfortunately almost all on private land. Refreshments are available at the Brimstage Hall Craft Centre and in the Seven Stars pub in Thornton Hough. The route is fairly flat over good paths, fields and quiet lanes. Walking boots are desirable but not really essential if you have strong shoes.

The relevant Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer map is No. 266. For further information on the locations visited, click on the images.

	Detailed mapping and satellite photography for this walk courtesy of Bing Maps
	Printer friendly page for this walk (no photos)

Start at the entrance to Storeton Woods [1] on Marsh Lane and head down the path along the eastern edge. A short way along is a tiny section of the tramway [2] that used to run from the quarry near here to Bromborough Pool from 1838 to 1905. Further along, cross Rest Hill Road and continue along the edge of the woods, where you get a good view over towards the Welsh Hills. By a farm, the footpath bears right to emerge on Red Hill Road.

Cross into Meadow Lane opposite and take the footpath immediately on the right signed Brimstage. Follow an indistinct trail down the hillside towards a bridge and a stile under a tree. Cross the stile and the next field, then another stile and another field to emerge onto Brimstage Lane. Go ahead down the lane, under the M53 and past where the Lever Causeway crosses [3], to arrive in Brimstage at the relatively busy Brimstage Road. Go right a short way and then turn left into Brimstage Hall [4] with its craft centre. Go right through the car park, over a stile and across a field to emerge back on the main road.

A little way along, turn left into Talbot Avenue and then immediately left onto the pleasantly tree-lined footpath signed Thornton Hough. Keep ahead over a stile where a path comes in from the left and note the rather grand Thornton Manor [5] over on the right. Eventually you cross another section of causeway [6] via two gates. Keep straight ahead across a field, through a hole in a fence and across a stile, where the path runs between hedges to another section of causeway. Go right along the causeway for a short distance and then turn left into a lane, which leads through a farmyard into Thornton Hough. The Seven Stars pub [7] is just opposite, a good place for lunch and a drink.

Walk down to take a look at the village green [8] with its half-Timbered houses, constructed by William Lever in the Port Sunlight Style. Retrace your steps and continue along Thornton Common Road, turning left onto a track that runs alongside a sandstone cottage. Go right along the back of the gardens and then over a field. Cross a stile and go left along a broad bridleway to reach a section of causeway [9]. Follow the bridleway round to the left and then take a footpath to the right over a field. This crosses another section of causeway via a gate and a stile. Keep going across the fields until a track eventually crosses the path. Cross this via the stiles on each side to come out on Brimstage Road. Go left and then retrace your steps along Brimstage Lane to the M53 underpass.

Turn left immediately after the underpass along the path that runs by the side of the M53 (it doesn't stay close to the motorway for long!). After a stile, follow an indistinct trail across the field, gradually leaving the motorway and aiming for a gate on the opposite side. Through the gate is a path between hedges, then a lane into Storeton. At the end, cross Red Hill Road diagonally to the left and turn right into Rest Hill Road. Go down the hill to a footpath on the left signed Lever Causeway. Keep to the edge of the field, through gates and over stiles (a horse-lover's paradise here) until you reach the causeway. Go right along the causeway and then right into Marsh Lane to reach your starting point.